Understanding Tablet Warranty Coverage | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. このタブレットを買う前に、保証内容を理解したいです。

   Before I buy this tablet, I want to understand the warranty.

   この

   this

   タブレット

   tablet

   買う

   buy

   前に

   before

   保証内容

   warranty details

   理解したいです

   want to understand

   More detail

   この means “this” and appears directly before the noun it specifies: この + noun. It is a demonstrative form used attributively; unlike the noun, it does not change for number or gender. For example, この本 means “this book.” Here, この identifies the tablet as the one intended by the speaker’s “this.” タブレット is a noun meaning “tablet,” here referring to the device. It is a loanword used as an ordinary Japanese noun. A noun can follow この without an article-like word: このタブレット means “this tablet.” 買う is the plain, nonpast form of the verb 買う, “to buy.” This form is also the dictionary form. In 買う前に, it expresses an action that is to occur before another action; the nonpast form does not by itself assert that the purchase has already happened. Example: 店に行く前に電話します。 “I will call before going to the store.” 前に means “before” in this construction. The reusable pattern is [plain-form verb] + 前に: 食べる前に “before eating.” Here, 買う前に makes buying the tablet the earlier event relative to understanding the warranty details. The を after タブレット marks タブレット as the object of 買う. 保証内容 is a noun compound meaning “warranty details” or “the contents of the warranty” here. 保証 means “warranty” or “guarantee,” while 内容 means “contents” or “details.” Japanese commonly combines nouns this way, with the first noun specifying what kind of contents are meant. The を after 保証内容 marks these details as the object of 理解する. In the supplied following sentence, 保証 is described as covering technical problems from normal use, which supports the warranty-related reading here. 理解したいです expresses “want to understand.” The verb 理解する means “to understand”; its verb stem 理解し combines with たい to form 理解したい, “want to understand.” The final です gives the sentence a polite tone. With this kind of first-person desire, the understood subject is “I,” matching the fixed translation. For example, もっと理解したいです。 means “I want to understand more.” Putting the parts together, このタブレットを買う前に means “before buying this tablet,” and 保証内容を理解したいです means “I want to understand the warranty details.” The complete utterance therefore means: “Before I buy this tablet, I want to understand the warranty.”

2. 保証は、通常の使用で起きた技術的な問題を対象としています。

   The warranty covers technical problems from normal use.

   保証は

   As for the warranty

   通常の使用

   normal use

   起きた

   occurred

   技術的な

   technical

   問題

   problem

   対象としています

   covers

   More detail

   保証は sets 保証 (“warranty”) as the topic with は. 保証 is a noun; the form itself does not indicate who provides the warranty or how long it lasts. Example: 保証があります。 means “There is a warranty.” 通常の使用 means “normal use.” 通常 describes the kind of 使用 through の, so the pattern AのB links a noun or noun-like modifier to a following noun: 通常の使用 = “use under normal conditions.” 使用 is a noun meaning “use”; the related verb 使用する means “to use.” 起きた comes from the verb 起きる, “to occur” or “to happen.” Its past form 起きた appears before the noun it describes: 起きた問題 means “a problem that occurred.” This past form identifies the problem as one that has occurred, not necessarily as an event happening at the moment of speaking. Example: 昨日、問題が起きた。 means “A problem occurred yesterday.” 技術的な means “technical.” It is the な-adjective 技術的, and な connects it to the noun 問題: 技術的な問題 = “a technical problem.” The な here belongs to the adjective’s attributive form; it is not an ending on 問題. Example: 技術的な説明が必要です。 means “A technical explanation is necessary.” 問題 is a noun meaning “problem” here. In other contexts it can also mean an “issue” or a “question,” but this sentence uses the problem sense. Example: 問題を解決しました。 means “I solved the problem.” 対象としています is the formal pattern 対象とする in the polite form. 対象とする means “to cover,” “to make something the subject of coverage,” or “to treat something as covered.” しています presents that policy or status as currently applying; it is not simply the independent verb する meaning “do.” Here, the covered items are the technical problems described before it. Example: このサービスは国内の利用者を対象としています。 means “This service is intended for users in the country.” Together, 通常の使用で起きた技術的な問題 means “technical problems that occurred during normal use.” In this phrase, で marks the circumstances in which the problems occurred, and 起きた modifies 技術的な問題. The topic 保証は is then linked to 対象としています, producing the complete meaning: “The warranty covers technical problems from normal use.”

3. 保証には、画面が割れるなどの偶発的な損傷も含まれますか。

   Does the coverage include accidental damage, like a cracked screen?

   保証

   warranty; coverage

   画面

   screen

   割れる

   to crack; to break

   などの

   such as

   偶発的な

   accidental

   損傷

   damage

   含まれますか

   is included?

   More detail

   保証 means a warranty or coverage arrangement. In this sentence, 保証には sets that coverage as the area being asked about; に marks the framework or scope in which inclusion is considered. Example: この保証には修理費が含まれます。 — “This warranty includes repair costs.” 画面 means “screen.” It is the subject of the embedded clause 画面が割れる, marked by が. The sentence does not identify a particular device beyond the screen involved in the damage example. 割れる means “to crack” or “to break,” and here it describes a screen becoming cracked. Its dictionary form is 割れる; in 画面が割れる, the non-past form presents this as a possible kind of event. This is an intransitive verb: the screen is described as cracking, rather than someone being said to crack it. Example: コップが割れました。 — “The cup broke.” などの introduces an example or an open-ended category: “such as.” Here, 画面が割れるなどの means “such as a screen cracking,” and it modifies the following noun 損傷. The pattern AなどのB means “B such as A.” 偶発的な means “accidental” or “incidental.” It is a な-adjective: the form before a noun is 偶発的な, as in 偶発的な損傷. The noun-like form is 偶発性, but it is not the form used here. 損傷 means “damage” or “deterioration,” especially physical damage. In this sentence it refers to accidental damage, with a cracked screen given as an example. Example: 本体に損傷があります。 — “There is damage to the main unit.” 含まれますか asks whether something “is included.” The base form is 含まれる (“be included”); 含まれます is its polite non-past form, and か makes it a question. This is a passive/intransitive-style expression of inclusion: the damage is treated as something included within the coverage, rather than focusing on who includes it. Example: 送料は料金に含まれますか。 — “Is shipping included in the price?” Putting the parts together, 画面が割れるなどの偶発的な損傷 means “accidental damage such as a cracked screen.” With 保証には and 含まれますか, the whole utterance asks: “Does the warranty or coverage include accidental damage, such as a cracked screen?”

4. 偶発的な損傷には、別の保護プランが適用されます。

   Accidental damage is handled by a separate protection plan.

   偶発的な

   accidental

   損傷

   damage

   別の

   separate

   保護プラン

   protection plan

   適用されます

   is applied

   More detail

   偶発的な describes 損傷 as accidental or unintentional. It is the attributive form of the な-adjective 偶発的, used before a noun with な: 偶発的な損傷 means “accidental damage.” For example, 偶発的な故障 means “an accidental malfunction.” 損傷 is a noun meaning damage or physical harm. In this sentence it refers to the accidental damage covered by the statement. A related but different word is 故障, which means a malfunction or breakdown, as in バッテリーの故障 (“a battery malfunction”). 別の means separate, different, or another in relation to an understood alternative. It modifies the noun 保護プラン; 別の保護プラン therefore means “a separate protection plan.” The form 別の is used before a noun. For example, 別の方法 means “a different method.” 保護プラン is a noun compound: 保護 means protection, and プラン means plan. Together, they name a protection plan. The compound is the thing that is applied; it does not itself express who selected or provided the plan. 適用されます is the polite non-past passive form of 適用する, “to apply.” The passive form presents something as being applied or put into effect. Here, 適用されます means “is applied” or, naturally in this insurance or coverage context, “handles” the damage. The polite ending ます makes the statement formal and suitable for customer-service language. For example, この規則が適用されます means “This rule is applied.” The particle には follows 損傷. に marks the thing or situation to which the plan applies, while は makes that situation the topic or gives it contrastive focus. The sentence therefore organizes the information as “as for accidental damage, ...”. Putting the parts together, 偶発的な損傷には sets accidental damage as the situation under discussion, 別の保護プラン identifies the separate plan, and 適用されます says that the plan is applied to it. The complete meaning is: “Accidental damage is handled by a separate protection plan.”

5. バッテリーが故障した場合、タブレットをここに持ってくればよいですか。それともメーカーに連絡すればよいですか。

   If the battery fails, would I bring the tablet here or contact the manufacturer?

   バッテリー

   battery

   故障した

   failed / broke down

   場合

   if / in the event of

   タブレット

   tablet

   ここに

   here

   持ってくればよいですか

   should I bring it?

   それとも

   or instead

   メーカー

   manufacturer

   連絡すればよいですか

   should I contact someone?

   More detail

   バッテリー means “battery.” It is a noun and can be reused with が to mark the thing that undergoes a change or failure. For example: バッテリーが切れた。— “The battery ran out.” 故障した means “failed” or “broke down” here. The base form is 故障する, “to fail / malfunction”; 故障した is its past form. In バッテリーが故障した場合, the past form presents the failure as the event serving as the condition. This is not the same as 壊れた, which more generally means “broke” or “became damaged.” 場合 means “case” or “situation.” The pattern X場合、… means “if X” or “in the event that X.” Here, 故障した場合 sets the condition before the comma: “if the battery fails.” タブレット means “tablet.” It is a noun; in the sentence it is the object of the bringing action. For example: タブレットを使います。— “I use a tablet.” ここに means “here.” ここ is “here,” and に marks the destination or location toward which something is brought. The destination is therefore “here.” 持ってくればよいですか asks whether bringing something is the appropriate action. The base verb is 持ってくる, “to bring”; 持ってくれば is its conditional form, “if [someone] brings it.” よい means “good / acceptable,” and ですか turns the expression into a question. Together, the pattern Xばよいですか asks “should I X?” or “would it be appropriate to X?” The subject is not stated in Japanese; in this question, the fixed translation identifies it as the speaker, and the object is the tablet. Combined with ここに, it means “Should I bring the tablet here?” それとも introduces the alternative in a choice question: “or instead.” It connects the first proposed action with the second one. メーカー means “manufacturer.” It is a noun referring here to the product’s manufacturer. For example: メーカーに確認します。— “I will check with the manufacturer.” 連絡すればよいですか asks whether contacting someone is the appropriate action. The base verb is 連絡する, “to contact / get in touch”; 連絡すれば is its conditional form. As with 持ってくればよいですか, Xばよいですか means “should I X?” or “would it be appropriate to X?” Here, メーカーに marks the manufacturer as the target of the contact, so the combined phrase means “should I contact the manufacturer?” As a whole, バッテリーが故障した場合 sets the condition “if the battery fails.” The question then offers two alternatives: タブレットをここに持ってくればよいですか, “should I bring the tablet here,” or メーカーに連絡すればよいですか, “should I contact the manufacturer?” The complete meaning is: “If the battery fails, would I bring the tablet here or contact the manufacturer?”

6. 保証の申請はこちらで始められます。その後どうなるかをご説明します。

   You can start the claim here, and we will explain what happens next.

   保証

   warranty; guarantee

   申請

   application; claim

   こちらで

   here; at this place

   始められます

   can start

   その後

   after that

   どうなるか

   what happens

   ご説明します

   will explain

   More detail

   保証 means “warranty” or “guarantee.” In 保証の申請, the noun 保証 modifies 申請, giving the reusable pattern “application/claim for a warranty.” の links the two nouns; it does not itself mean “of” in every possible context. 申請 means “application” or “claim” as a formal request. Here it refers to starting the warranty claim, matching the fixed translation. A useful related contrast is 申請する, “to apply” or “to file a claim,” where する turns the noun into an action. こちらで means “here” or “at this place.” こちら is a polite demonstrative referring to the relevant place or service point, and で marks the place where the action occurs. The specific physical location is not identified beyond the intended “here.” 始められます means “can start” in this sentence. Its base verb is 始める, “to start”; 始められる is its potential form, expressing ability or possibility, and 始められます is the polite non-past form. For example, ここで始められます means “You can start here.” The subject is omitted in Japanese; the fixed translation identifies the intended reader as the person who can start the claim. その後 means “after that” or “afterwards.” その points back to an already established matter, and 後 means “after” or “later,” so this expression introduces a later stage in the process. For example, その後、結果を知らせます means “After that, we will inform you of the result.” どうなるか means “what happens” or, more literally, “how it will turn out.” どう asks “how/what way,” なる means “become” or “turn out,” and the final か makes the question content into an embedded question. Compare the direct question どうなりますか (“What will happen?”) with どうなるか inside a larger statement such as どうなるか説明します (“I will explain what will happen”). ご説明します means “will explain.” The base noun is 説明, “explanation,” and 説明する means “to explain.” します is the polite non-past form of する. The prefix ご- is a polite honorific prefix used here with 説明, presenting the explaining action politely; it does not change the basic meaning to a different verb. In this sentence, the omitted subject is understood from the service interaction as “we,” as reflected in the fixed translation. Together, 保証の申請はこちらで始められます says “You can start the warranty claim here.” Then その後どうなるかをご説明します says “We will explain what happens next.” The full utterance therefore means: “You can start the claim here, and we will explain what happens next.”

7. 修理と交換のどちらがよいか、どうすれば分かりますか。

   How would I know whether repair or replacement is better?

   修理

   repair

   交換

   replacement

   どちら

   which of the two

   よい

   better; preferable

   どうすれば

   how can one; what should one do to

   分かりますか

   can I know?

   More detail

   修理 means repairing something and is a noun here. It can also combine with する: 修理する means “to repair.” Example: 修理が必要です。 — “Repair is necessary.” 交換 means replacement or exchange, also as a noun. With する, 交換する means “to replace/exchange.” In this sentence it names the alternative of replacing the item, not the act of repairing it. どちら asks “which of the two” and is used when the choice is limited to two alternatives. In the pattern AとBのどちら, と links the alternatives and のどちら means “which of A and B.” A more casual form is どっち. よい is an adjective meaning “good” or “preferable.” In どちらがよいか, the context makes the relevant comparison “which is better/preferable,” rather than simply asking whether one option is good in isolation. いい is the common everyday variant of よい; よい is also natural in more formal wording. Example: どちらがよいですか。 — “Which is better?” どうすれば asks what action or method would produce a desired result: “what should one do to” or “how can one.” It is formed from どうする (“what to do/how to do it”) with the conditional -ば: どうすれば分かりますか。 — “How can I tell?” This does not itself specify a particular action. 分かりますか is the polite question form of 分かる, “to understand, know, or be able to tell.” The ますか ending makes it a polite question; it is not a separate potential form. Here 分かる means being able to determine the preferable option. Example: 理由が分かります。 — “I understand the reason.” Together, 修理と交換のどちらがよいか is an embedded question meaning “which of repair and replacement is preferable.” どうすれば分かりますか asks what one can do to determine that. The complete utterance therefore means: “How would I know whether repair or replacement is better?” The polite ますか form suits a formal service or support interaction.

8. まず問題を確認してから、ご利用いただける選択肢をご説明します。

   We check the problem first, then explain the available options.

   まず

   first; to begin with

   問題

   problem

   確認してから

   after checking

   ご利用いただける

   available for you to use

   選択肢

   option; choice

   ご説明します

   explain politely

   More detail

   まず means “first” or “to begin with.” It marks the first step before a later step. Example: まず名前を書きます。 — “First, I write my name.” 問題 is a noun meaning “problem” or “issue.” Here it is the problem being checked. 質問 means “question,” something someone asks, so it is not interchangeable with 問題 in this sentence. 確認してから combines 確認する (“to check” or “confirm”) with てから (“after doing”). 確認して is the て-form of 確認する; adding から makes the order explicit: complete the first action, then do the next one. Example: 内容を確認してから送ります。 — “I will check the contents before sending them.” ご利用いただける means “available for you to use” here. The lexical verb is 利用する (“to use” or “make use of”). ご利用 is a respectful service expression built from the verbal noun 利用 with ご-, not simply a basic polite inflection of 利用する. いただける is the potential form of いただく; in ご利用いただける, this polite construction presents the listener’s use as something available to them. It modifies the following noun: ご利用いただける選択肢 means “options available for you to use.” 選択肢 is a noun meaning “option” or “choice,” especially one possibility among alternatives. Example: 二つの選択肢があります。 — “There are two options.” The fixed sentence itself does not state how many options there are. ご説明します means “explain” in a polite service style. Its lexical verb is 説明する; 説明します is its polite nonpast form. The ご- in ご説明します is part of a formal respectful expression for the speaker’s explaining, commonly functioning as humble service language toward the listener. Example: 手順をご説明します。 — “I will explain the procedure.” Together, まず問題を確認してから means “first check the problem and then,” while ご利用いただける選択肢をご説明します means “explain the options available for you to use.” The reusable pattern AてからB presents A as completed before B. Thus the whole utterance means: “We check the problem first, then explain the available options.”

9. それで、このタブレットが良い選択かどうか決めるのに役立ちます。

   That helps me decide whether this tablet is a sensible choice.

   それで

   so / with that

   この

   this

   タブレット

   tablet

   良い

   good / sensible

   選択

   choice

   かどうか

   whether

   決める

   decide

   のに

   for ...ing

   役立ちます

   helps / is useful

   More detail

   それで links this sentence to what came before with the meaning “so” or “with that.” It presents the current point as following from the preceding information or action. In this utterance, it introduces what that information helps with. この means “this” before a noun. It is a demonstrative modifier, so it appears directly before タブレット and identifies the tablet as the relevant one in the situation. Demonstratives such as この, その, and あの differ in which item they point to; この presents the item as “this.” タブレット is the noun “tablet,” here referring to the device being evaluated. Japanese commonly uses this kind of loanword as a noun. Example: このタブレットを使います。 — “I use this tablet.” 良い means “good” here, and in 良い選択 it gives the choice a positive evaluation: a good or sensible choice. Its base form is 良い; the common negative form is 良くない, “not good.” Example: これは良い方法です。 — “This is a good method.” 選択 is the noun “choice” or “selection.” Together, 良い選択 means “a good/sensible choice”; 良い describes 選択, rather than being part of the noun itself. Example: それは安全な選択です。 — “That is a safe choice.” かどうか marks an embedded yes-or-no issue, “whether.” The material before it is what is being assessed: このタブレットが良い選択かどうか means “whether this tablet is a good choice.” The particle が marks このタブレット as the item described as 良い選択 inside this embedded question. This pattern can also be used with a verb: 来るかどうか — “whether [someone] will come.” 決める means “to decide” or “to determine.” Here it takes the embedded question このタブレットが良い選択かどうか as what is decided: “decide whether this tablet is a good choice.” Its polite non-past form is 決めます; the observed form 決める is the plain non-past form used before のに. のに here is the purpose pattern verb plain form + のに, meaning “for doing ...” or “in order to do ...,” not the contrasting connective use. The two uses have the same written form and pronunciation; their meanings are distinguished by the surrounding structure and context. Thus 決めるのに means “for deciding” or “in order to decide.” Example: 調べるのに時間が必要です。 — “Time is needed to investigate.” 役立ちます means “helps” or “is useful.” It is the polite non-past form of 役立つ, “to be useful” or “to help.” The form 役立ちます does not itself specify the person helped; the fixed translation identifies that beneficiary as “me.” With のに, 決めるのに役立ちます means “helps with deciding” or “is useful for deciding.” Example: この情報は比較するのに役立ちます。 — “This information helps with comparing.” Putting the parts together, それで connects the point to the preceding information, このタブレットが良い選択かどうか identifies the yes-or-no decision, and 決めるのに役立ちます states that the information is useful for making it. The whole utterance therefore means: “That helps me decide whether this tablet is a sensible choice.”

10. 毎日使う予定なら、保証の詳細はより重要です。

    Warranty details matter more when you plan to use it every day.

    毎日

    every day

    使う

    use

    予定なら

    if planning to

    保証

    warranty

    詳細

    details

    より重要です

    is more important

    More detail

    毎日 means “every day.” It is a time expression that can modify an action: 毎日使う means “use [it] every day.” 毎日 describes frequency, not a one-time duration. 使う is the plain, non-past form of “to use.” Its subject is not marked in this sentence; the fixed translation supplies the intended reading that the listener plans to use the tablet. The same form can also express a future action or a general habit, depending on context. Example: 毎日このアプリを使います。 — “I use this app every day.” 予定なら combines 予定 (“plan” or “schedule”) with なら, a conditional form meaning “if that is the case” or “if ... is the plan.” Here, 使う予定 is the noun phrase “a plan to use [it],” and 使う予定なら means “if you plan to use [it].” The なら condition is attached to the noun phrase 予定, rather than directly to 使う. 保証 means “warranty” here. 詳細 means “details.” Together, 保証の詳細 uses の to connect the two nouns: “the details of the warranty” or “warranty details.” The の relation does not mean that 保証 is the actor; it identifies what kind of details they are. より重要です means “is more important.” より marks the comparison, while 重要です is the polite form of the predicate “be important.” The comparison standard is understood from context, so the sentence does not name what the warranty details are more important than. 重要 is a な-type adjective-like word: before a noun, it takes な, as in 重要な情報 (“important information”), while as a polite predicate it appears as 重要です. Assembled from left to right, 毎日使う予定なら sets the condition: “if you plan to use it every day.” 保証の詳細は identifies the topic as “the warranty details,” and より重要です says that they are more important. Thus the whole utterance means: “Warranty details matter more when you plan to use it every day.”